For some, that will be rubber, while others prefer cork or TPE. Mats made with TPE feel more like rubber and can be recycled after use, Quality Yoga Mats whereas natural rubber mats are favored for their traction and slip resistance. We noticed that the initial rubber smell lingers during the first few uses. Our first tester practices yoga both at home and in the studio, favoring mats with dependable grip and comfortable cushioning. Our tester regularly practices yoga both at home and while traveling. If you’re traveling to and from a yoga studio with your mat, you’ll want an option that’s not tough to carry. This is the only mat they sell at my local yoga studio. Although The Mat 5mm is larger and heavier than your average yoga mat - weighing 5.24 pounds and spanning 26 inches wide and 71 inches long - we think its ample cushioning, reversible surface and grippy texture make it worth the extra effort of carrying it to your favorite yoga class. This mat is easy to clean with a damp cloth or the brand’s natural yoga mat spray, which lifts sweat and dirt with minimal effort.

We've all experienced it-sliding and slipping during a yoga class, wishing for better grip on our mat to seamlessly transition between poses. The textured top layer enhances grip, even when her hands get sweaty from teaching and taking 96-degree heated yoga sculpt classes. Along with a textured top side, the mat has a bubble-textured bottom layer that delivers even more grip and security. In terms of grip, the grid-textured top layer provides stability without any unpleasant stickiness, ensuring stability even when sweating. Made from non-toxic rubber, this ultra-thin mat provides enough stability for faster flows. We also found it light enough to take on the go. Sweaty Betty’s Flow Yoga Mat is lightweight and ideal for travel, but we found that it feels flimsy and doesn’t offer enough support. Surprisingly, despite its thickness, this mat feels lightweight. Despite its support, we appreciate that this mat remains one of the lighter options on our list for easy portability. She found the thick padding and ample support of this mat particularly beneficial, allowing her to practice comfortably despite her injury. When flowing, we considered the padding and thickness of the mat and made note of how supportive the mat felt under our hands, feet, joints, and head.

Portability: Although I do own a yoga mat bag, I decided to carry all these mats to and from classes without one to see how well they could travel. It’s one of the firmest, thinnest mats we’ve used, yet it never feels uncomfortable during poses. However, we ultimately don’t think it’s worth the steep price point. The only downside is that the company only offers a two-year warranty, unlike competitors that offer warranties for the life of the product for a similar price point. We also appreciate the reasonable price of this mat, especially considering its superior support compared to other, pricier options. Alongside its visual appeal, this mat also boasts dependable grip and comfortable cushioning-offering support without compromising balance. Length: The standard length for a yoga mat is 68 inches long and 24 inches wide. Weighing just 2.2 pounds, it is among the lightest mats we tested, which is especially impressive given its standard size. Depending on your needs, you could purchase a standard yoga mat, or you may want to splurge a little more to get a mat with higher-quality features. Jade Yoga plants a tree for each mat sold, so you can feel confident that your purchase makes a positive impact.

We also observed how well the mat stayed flat under our hands and feet throughout testing and if this changed over time. Their insights guided us in identifying the key features to consider when shopping and also informed our testing process. Our tester, an experienced yogi who prefers low-intensity yoga and Pilates workouts, was recovering from an elbow fracture during testing. Our tester, an experienced yogi who leans towards low-intensity yoga and Pilates workouts, was recovering from an elbow fracture during the testing period. And the textured surface helped our hands and feet stay in place when we were testing it out in a vinyasa flow class. But this magical mat somehow helped me nail each pose without struggling to stay out of my neighbors’ personal space. Jade does, however, have a program where you can recycle your mat after it’s worn out by returning it to be made into a brand-new yoga mat. It’s not just beneficial for your practice-it’s great for the environment as well. We noted how much traction the mats had when we used them, as well as whether or not they slipped in sweaty power and hot yoga classes. These poses usually tend to make me wobble or fall, but the Jade Elite S helped my hands and feet stay firmly in place, which made it much easier for me to hold these poses longer.